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Hakai Area Hotsprings

I'm planning a kayaking trip in the Hakai region (starting at Sea Otter Inlet and ending at Bella Bella via Goose group) and am wondering if anyone knows of hotsprings in the area?

I've gone through "The Wild Coast 2" and didn't see anything (unless I just missed it).

Actually, any good information about that area would be appreciated. I've never paddled up there before.

Thanks
 
Rich,
I don't know of any hotsprings but do have a little experience in the area.
When will you be there?
How much time do you have?
Are you planning on traveling on the east or west side of Hunter Island?
How comfortable is your group with with off shore paddling?
Depending on your plans I may have some ideas for you. Feel free to PM if you like.
Jon
 

Fransjb

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Victoria
Rich,
I don't know of any hotsprings but do have a little experience in the area.
When will you be there?
How much time do you have?
Are you planning on traveling on the east or west side of Hunter Island?
How comfortable is your group with with off shore paddling?
Depending on your plans I may have some ideas for you. Feel free to PM if you like.
Jon
Hi Jon, new to the site and aware that tis is an old thread. Looking at doing Bella Bella to Hunter/Hakai. 5 paddlers (60y/o to 15 y/o). All intermediate paddlers but keen not to extend beyond a careful margin of safety. We are planning about 14 days of water time - factoring in ferry schedules. Any advice will be most appreciated.
 
We are planning about 14 days of water time - factoring in ferry schedules.
My friend Becky Hardey just competed a 10 day trip in the area. You can review her route here: https://share.garmin.com/BeckyHardey
She chose a pretty classic route that didn't include Calvert Island. If you have 14 on-water days I have some suggestions dependent upon your group's strengths and group dynamics.
 
Hi Jon, thanks so much for picking this up. I will check out Becky's trip report. To better inform your suggestions: Group dynamics will be tight - we have all travelled and worked together around the globe and dealt with multiple high stress situations. Kayak strengths intermediate. All paddlers agreed on the maxim, "Better to be on land wishing we were on the water than on the water wishing we were on land". So definitely a group adoption of caution over having any near misses. That said we have multiple redundancies built into all safety considerations from comms to repairs and response to an unexpected event. I think that the concluding piece is that we would like to minimise exposure to west side/open ocean exposure as far as possible or have exposure that can be managed by pre exposure or during exposure ability to find secure "wait it out" points.

I hope this helps!

Hi Jon, I just took a look at Becky's track - do you know if the red flags indicate her planned stops? I am slightly confused by the one that identifies Bishop's Bay Hot Spring - I thought that was much further North.
 
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Hi Jon, I just took a look at Becky's track - do you know if the red flags indicate her planned stops? I am slightly confused by the one that identifies Bishop's Bay Hot Spring - I thought that was much further North.

I noticed that too and took it to be an artifact from a different route. Not sure how it got stuck on Quinoot Point.

Of course winds and seas dictate every route's viability however you might consider passing by Joassa Channel and maybe camping along Seaforth Channel on Dufferin Island. Gale Passage is an interesting twist with tidal rapids at both ends. They can be minimized by transiting the passage near high slack. You still get some current but nothing scary and then carrying on to McMullin. If not Gale Passage then continuing to the Cape Swain at the NW corner of Athlone Island and down the outside to Cape Mark. There is an interesting camp site at Cape Mark but access can be tide dependent. Again, a stop at McMullin is worthwhile.

While some say that Goose has the best beaches in BC I'm not a huge fan. Goose sees a lot of traffic and shows the signs of individuals who eschew LNT practices and it sort of forces a long crossing of Queens Sound. I've never had an issue with Queens Sound but some of my friends have.

Becky's route did not extend across Hakai Passage to Calvert Island. Personally, I feel that a kayak trip to Hakai without spending time on Calvert Island is like a "40 degree day" (reference from "The Wire"). Calvert is a trip of it's own and I always try to include it in any Central Coast trip.

If you haven't found it yet consider taking a peek at Phillip Torren's blog here (https://philiptorrens.com/). He has reports on lots of routes, writes in an entertaining fashion and I'm pretty sure that he has at least one report on a route that might be what you are looking for.

Here's another entertain read about 14 days in Hakai. http://aubade1.blogspot.com/2019/04/from-klemtu-to-hakai-14-days-kayaking.html
 
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I noticed that too and took it to be an artifact from a different route. Not sure how it got stuck on Quinoot Point.

Of course winds and seas dictate every route's viability however you might consider passing by Joassa Channel and maybe camping along Seaforth Channel on Dufferin Island. Gale Passage is an interesting twist with tidal rapids at both ends. They can be minimized by transiting the passage near high slack. You still get some current but nothing scary and then carrying on to McMullin. If not Gale Passage then continuing to the Cape Swain at the NW corner of Athlone Island and down the outside to Cape Mark. There is an interesting camp site at Cape Mark but access can be tide dependent. Again, a stop at McMullin is worthwhile.

While some say that Goose has the best beaches in BC I'm not a huge fan. Goose sees a lot of traffic and shows the signs of individuals who eschew LNT practices and it sort of forces a long crossing of Queens Sound. I've never had an issue with Queens Sound but some of my friends have.

Becky's route did not extend across Hakai Passage to Calvert Island. Personally, I feel that a kayak trip to Hakai without spending time on Calvert Island is like a "40 degree day" (reference from "The Wire"). Calvert is a trip of it's own and I always try to include it in any Central Coast trip.

If you haven't found it yet consider taking a peek at Phillip Torren's blog here (https://philiptorrens.com/). He has reports on lots of routes, writes in an entertaining fashion and I'm pretty sure that he has at least one report on a route that might be what you are looking for.

Here's another entertain read about 14 days in Hakai. http://aubade1.blogspot.com/2019/04/from-klemtu-to-hakai-14-days-kayaking.html
Hi Jon, thanks so much for the intel - it is most appreciated. Calvert is already designated as a "must" and your perspective on Goose is great as we really want to experience as much isolation as is feasible in the area, so finding trace beyond the minimum unavoidable, is always disappointing. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
 
Here's my report from Bella Bella to Hakai (North Calvert) and return by canoe
Jeff, thanks so much for engaging! I had found some of your reports and comments quite early on in the research and have greatly appreciated your engagement on the WCP site.
 
Hi Jon, thanks so much for the intel - it is most appreciated. Calvert is already designated as a "must" and your perspective on Goose is great as we really want to experience as much isolation as is feasible in the area, so finding trace beyond the minimum unavoidable, is always disappointing. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.
Evidence indicates that most traffic in the Goose Group is by folks other than kayakers who apparently carry and dispose of excess socks, sweatshirts, beer and liquor bottles, and don't make their fires below the next high tide line. The largest and most self-indulgent beach architecture I have ever seen was on Snipe Island where a group had erected an enormous log teepee that could have served no purpose other than self-aggrandizing their visit. Of course they left it so that all would know that they had been there first. Sorry, I'll get off of my soapbox now.

I have some trip reports here: https://3meterswell.blogspot.com/. Most are not limited to Hakai but may provide some reference materials for you.
 
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Evidence indicates that most traffic in the Goose Group is by folks other than kayakers who apparently carry and dispose of excess socks, sweatshirts, beer and liquor bottles, and don't make their fires below the next high tide line. The largest and most self-indulgent beach architecture I have ever seen was on Snipe Island where a group had erected an enormous log teepee that could have served no purpose other than self-aggrandizing their visit. Of course they left it so that all would know that they had been there first. Sorry, I'll get off of my soapbox now.

I have some trip reports here: https://3meterswell.blogspot.com/. Most are not limited to Hakai but may provide some reference materials for you.
Hi Jon, thanks for the blog url - I will check that out. With regards the "soapbox", I have had the good fortune to have been able to travel to remote areas around the world and nothing is quite as unpleasant as finding the detritus of those who demonstrate no regard for the beauty they have experienced. I have 2 adult kids who still tease me about our arrival at a remote site when they were both young and me getting them to help collect and dispose of poop and paper left by previous travellers - needless to say the experience made a lasting impression on them...
 
A further question from one of our mossie phobic crew - ok me. Given how contraindicated bug dope and dry suit gaskets are, what should we be expecting from our little needle nosed friends in July? I am hoping that lack of fresh water equates to lack of mossies!
 
A further question from one of our mossie phobic crew - ok me. Given how contraindicated bug dope and dry suit gaskets are, what should we be expecting from our little needle nosed friends in July? I am hoping that lack of fresh water equates to lack of mossies!
Mostly, my experience has been that insects are not that big a deal in late-July through early-August when I target my trips for. That said, I live in Washington State and there are others here who are natives to the area and better qualified to provide advice.

However, I take a bug-jacket with hood that has come in handy. On a windless beach I keep my long underwear on (worn under my dry suit for paddling) and wear baggy bug-resistant pants tucked into the ski socks that wore. I wear an Ex Officio Bug Hat that has a cape that can be tucked into the cap or “deployed” to cover my neck and cheeks. Works well for sun, too. The cap and cape are treated with Permethrin which seems to work well enough for me. I carry Permethrin Picaridin spray for retreating the hat and cape and for spraying onto my hands to apply to my face, ears and neck (well above the drysuit gasket). I don’t know if it has the same effect that DEET has on synthetics but I avoid using DEET because working decades in the outdoor retail industry I saw what it could do to outdoor gear and apparel.

I try to avoid camping near freshwater.
 
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chodups, I think you might be misreading the label on your spray. Permethrin (diluted) is for soaking clothes in. I believe there are warnings about getting it (wet) on your skin. After the item (shirt, pants, mosquito net, etc.) has dried, it is safe for skin contact. After that, sweating or other moist skin-to-fabric encounters doesn't seem to be a problem.

The spray for your skin is Picaridin.

Maybe the spray for your hat/cape is diluted enough for your skin, but please check that carefully.
 
chodups, I think you might be misreading the label on your spray. Permethrin (diluted) is for soaking clothes in. I believe there are warnings about getting it (wet) on your skin. After the item (shirt, pants, mosquito net, etc.) has dried, it is safe for skin contact. After that, sweating or other moist skin-to-fabric encounters doesn't seem to be a problem.

The spray for your skin is Picaridin.

Maybe the spray for your hat/cape is diluted enough for your skin, but please check that carefully.

You are absolutely right! My bad. I should have pulled the can out and read it. It was one of those "P-words" and I definitely said the wrong one. Thanks for catching and correcting my error. I have revised it in the previous post.
 
You are absolutely right! My bad. I should have pulled the can out and read it. It was one of those "P-words" and I definitely said the wrong one. Thanks for catching and correcting my error. I have revised it in the previous post.
@ Jon and Cougarmeat - points well noted.
 
Here's my report from Bella Bella to Hakai (North Calvert) and return by canoe
Hi Jeff - just a quick one - we are looking at a loose replication of your trip, do you have the GPS coords for your camp sites?
 
Hi Jeff - just a quick one - we are looking at a loose replication of your trip, do you have the GPS coords for your camp sites?
I read someplace that the Heiltsuk have closed access to Triquet Island. Maybe old news, I don't know. I looked at the Heiltsuk website for information and didn't see anything.
 
I read someplace that the Heiltsuk have closed access to Triquet Island. Maybe old news, I don't know. I looked at the Heiltsuk website for information and didn't see anything.
Thanks Jon, I think that may have been a C19 response in many of the 1st Nations lands and for the most part have been relaxed - but we will see what we can find out to confirm if that is the case for Triquet.
 
Thanks Jon, I think that may have been a C19 response in many of the 1st Nations lands and for the most part have been relaxed - but we will see what we can find out to confirm if that is the case for Triquet.
The restriction that I read about had to do with archeological and cultural significance and not C19.
 
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